Robert Burns's Satiric Poetry. Jane Bowling Kennerly Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
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Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1976 Robert Burns's Satiric Poetry. Jane Bowling Kennerly Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Kennerly, Jane Bowling, "Robert Burns's Satiric Poetry." (1976). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 3026. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/3026 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This material was produced from a microfilm copy of the original document. 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University Microfilms International 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 USA St. John's Road, Tyler's Green High Wycombe, Bucks, England HP10 8HR KENNERLY,. Jane Bowling, 1942- ROBERT BURNS’S SATIRIC POETRY. The Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Ph.D., 1976 Literature, English Xerox University Microfilms,Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 ROBERT BURNS'S SATIRIC POETRY A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of English by Jane Bowling Kennerly B.A., University of Tennessee, 1963 M.A., University of Tennessee, 1965 December, 1976 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The author wishes to express her appreciation to many who have assisted her in completing this manuscript. Dr. Annette McCormick, the director, has made generous contributions of time and advice; without her reasonableness, patience, and untiring efforts in review ing the manuscript, the work could not have been finished. The author also expresses her thanks to the other members of the committee, Dr. Don Moore and Dr. John Wildman, for their careful readings and their helpful suggestions. She thanks her family for their steadfast confidence: her parents, for their patience, continued support, and emphasis on academic achievement; her brother and sister-in-law , for their interest and excellent example. The precept, example, and concern, of two friends, Drs. Steve and Carolyn Morris Pyrek, have been invaluable. Her husband John has been unswerving in his expres sions of faith and encouragement. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE TITLE P A G E ................................................... i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................... i1 ABSTRACT............................................................................................................ iv INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... vi I. TARGETS OF SATIRE................................ 1 I I . VEHICLES OF SATIRE............................................................................. 30 I I I . SATIRIC TECHNIQUES ........................................................................ 116 IV. SATIRIC ALTERNATIVES ......................................................................... 256 LIST OF WORKS CITED..................................................................................... 271 VITA .................................................................................................................... 275 i i i ABSTRACT Although the lif e and writings of Robert Burns have been sub jected to much scrutiny and critical discussion, a major gap in Burns scholarship has long existed. No intensive or comprehensive analysis of Burns's satires has been written. Yet his satires, when examined in d e ta il, comprise an impressive body of work. This study, then, f i l l s a needed function by focusing on his achievements in satire. Moreover, the examination reveals that by the time the Kilmarnock Edition was published (July 31, 1786) he had revealed fu lly or semi- nally the scope of his satiric ability. Following the introduction, subsequent chapters focus on four features of Burns's satire: targets, vehicles, techniques, and alternatives. Analysis of his sa tiric pieces indicates that through out his career he attacks five major targets: insensitivity and intolerance that lead to unjust oppression; the hypocrisy of pre tensions; false pride; greed for power, money, and knowledge; incom petence that injures others. Chapter I I shows him employing six major vehicles in those poems composed both before and after August 1786: epistles, monologues, dialogues, burlesques, songs, and Christis Kirk. Throughout his writings, he illu s tra te s varying degrees of success at merging satiric theme to the distinctive features of each poetic form. Chapter I I I examines his use of s a tiric devices. In order to place emphases, reveal tone, and delineate individual flaws, he makes care ful use of these kinds of poetic techniques: diction— including juxtapositions, concrete language, ambiguities in some words, and iv syntactical arrangement of words; metrical features—encompassing rhyming, rhythmical, accentual, and alliterative patterns; and meta phorical imagery--figures of speech drawn mainly from traditional and conrnon sources, such as the natural world, the animal kingdom, domestic concerns, and written learning. He illustrates both dex te rity and clumsiness in manipulating these techniques for s a tiric effects. Chapter IV examines the alternatives, or norms, which he offers in opposition to the vices and follies he attacks. Usually suggesting his affirmed values through indirection, Burns exposes his passionate cornnitment to broadly based humanitarian principles! in teg rity, tolerant compassion, evaluation of others by standards of mind and character, brotherly love, independence in thought and action. This detailed study of Robert Burns's satires not only analyzes the attributes of a ll his s a tiric poems; i t also supports the theory that by August 1786, he had achieved the fullness, of his a b ility to use certain vehicles and techniques for s a tiric development and that he had conclusively enunciated targets for attacks and values for affirmation. Burns grew to full command of his satiric muse early in his career; neither consistent deterioration nor maturity as an artist is reflected in his later poems. This examination of Burns's satires thus accomplishes three ends: i t offers the fir s t fu ll and compre hensive view of the complete body of his satire; i t evaluates the excellence and mediocrity of the poems in comparison to one another; and it illustrates that Burns is one of those writers whose poetic maturity came early in his career, one to whom time and experience do not bring increased proficiency. INTRODUCTION Although Robert Burns's poetry has been examined in over three thousand articles and books, as well as in all surveys of Scottish lite ra tu re and culture, and although numerous biographies and editions of his poetry have been published, the body of his satirical poems^ has received only limited consideration. No critic has assessed his sa tiric achievement at length or examined the whole body of his s a tiric poetry. Some of the better known pieces--such as "Holy W illie's Prayer," "Love and Liberty," "To a Louse," "The Holy Fair," and "Tam o' Shanter"--receive a great deal of attention from various critics. But the books usually merge discussions of the individual satires with studies of a large number of his non-satiric poems; articles limit themselves to analyses